Aligning instrument for printing structures



Dec. 16, 1952 E. CHRISTEN ALIGNING INSTRUMENT FOR PRINTING STRUCTURES Filed Aug. 14, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. fif/VJTOVK/Jff/V E. CHRISTEN ALIGNING INSTRUMENT FOR PRINTING STRUCTURES Dec. 16, 1952- Filed Aug. 14, 1947 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 OFFICE ALIGNING INSTRUMENT FOR PRINTING STRUCTURES Ernst Christen, Kriens, Switzerland Application August 14, 1947, Serial No. 768,585 In Switzerland November 13, 1946 7 Claims.

This invention relates to setting and aligning of printing structures removably set and fastened in such manner as to produce best results as to the appearance of the printed matter, and particularly to an instrument for this purpose.

The main object of the present invention is to provide an instrument comprising a horizontal and vertical leg in adjustable T-shaped relation with scales attached thereto including setting members for minute positioning of printing structures mountable on a guide member, comprising a double armed indicator resiliently clamped to a guide member.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the aligning instrument,

Figure 2 is a cross-section of the aligning instrument,

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the instrument,

Figures 4 and 5 are details.

Referring to the drawing, reference numeral I designates a guide member provided with a longitudinal slot 2, mounting screws 3 on a pair of supports 4 being provided to fix the instrument for suitable positioning of the printing structure. Screws 5 are provided to fix the instrument to a frame. The guide member I sup ports an elongated band 50 having scales 6, 'l

formed thereon, the band 59 being fixed to the guide member I by any suitable structure. For example, and as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the band 50 may be secured in place on the guide member I by mechanism 8 in cooperation with the upstanding pins 5I carried by guide member I. The pins 5I project through suitable openings in the band 50 and restrain one end of the band 50 while the mechanism 8 restrains and tensions the other end of the band. Mechanism 8 includes a plate 52 slidable within the longitudinally extending dove-tail slot 53, the plate carrying upstanding pins 54 which project through suitable openings provided in the adjacent end of band 50. It is apparent that movement of the plate 52 and pins 54 away from fixed pins 5| will rigidly clamp the elongated band 59 in place on the guide member I. Accordingly, a threaded actuating member 55 is rotatably connected to the plate 52 and is supported in a complemen- 5I will clamp the band in place. Slidably supported in the longitudinal T-slot 2 is a glide 9 including a measuring leg Iii arranged at right angles to the guide member I. The instrument further includes a plate secured to the glide 9 and provided with openings II, I2 cooperating with the scales 6, 1 of band 50. Another elongated band 5'! having scales l3, I4 thereon is mounted on leg II) by any suitable structure I5, as for example, the arrangement for band 50. Since various mountings constructed and arranged in accordance with principles and practices well understood, may be used, a detailed description of a specific mounting is dispensed with as superfluous.

Spring pressed bolts I6 comprising lateral noses I! disposed in the glide 9 engage the edge of the longitudinal slot 2. The resilient mounted bolt I6 comprises a knob I 8 to rotate therewith the lateral nose I1. The spring-bolt I6 is arranged to screw-threadedly engage an operating disk I9 which surrounds the knob I8 (see Figure 5). Accordingly, upon rotation of the operating disk I9, the bolt may be displaced upwardly or downwardly. The spring 20 is circumposed about the bolt I6 and is flexed against the shoulder 2I in the glide 9 and also against the operating disk I9. 22, 23 represent an arresting arrangement positively preventing rotation of bolt I6 and its nose I! after the glide 9 has been slidably secured in T slot 2 with nose I! pressing against the upper surface of said slot under pressure of spring 20, this arrangement comprising a fixed pin 22 in the bolt I6 and a slot 23 on the underside of the glide 9. The arresting arrangement is such that when the lateral nose I 1 engages behind the edge of the longitudinal slot 2, thereafter in response to rotation of the disk I9 and upward displacement of bolt I6, glide 9 is in the locked position. In the zone of desired relative sliding between the glide 9 and the measuring leg I9 a toothed rack bar 24 is disposed (see Figures 4 and 5). The glide 9 carries a bolt 25 supporting a gear 26 adapted to engage rack 24. The bolt 25 comprises on the upper side of the glide 9 an operating disk 21 (Figure 4) and said bolt is maintained against accidental rotation by means of a spring 29 bearing upon a collar 29 of bolt 25, which collar rests on shoulder 39 of the glide 9; spring 28 also rests upon a nut 3| threadedly engaged in said glide. Bolt 25 extends through nut 3| so that the bolt is free of the nut 3i and may be intentionally rotated by disk 27 to turn gear 26 and hence to move glide 9 along guide I.

The measuring leg I0 comprises a head 32 and a double armed indicator 33. The double armed indicator or aligner 33 comprises securely fastened thereto indicators 34 cooperating with the scales l3, M of the band Resilient clamping means provide for positioning of the two arm indicators. The resilient clamping means comprise on either side of the measuring scale it! asleeve 35 fixedly seated in a head piece 32. Each sleeve 35 contains a spring 35. The spring 36 is located between a nut 33 (having a flange 31) and a collar 39 fixed to a bolt to. The bolt 40 comprises also, for pulling purposes, a knob 4|. The bolt 49 therefore presses on the plate 42 and the latter in turn upon the side wall of the frame type measuring leg. A support 43 near the free end of the measuring leg it engages by a dove-tail the underside of the measuring leg and is slidable thereon but arranged to be set fast on the measuring leg by means of the screw 44.

Depending from support 43 are legs to which are adjustably fastened to the support 33, by means of screws 45. These legs rotatably support rollers 4'! which may be adjustable in height relative to the translatable leg i5 by changing the angular position of the respective legs 36. The disclosed construction of the instrument functions as follows:

When the part containing the printing structure has been positioned outside the machine, the supports 4- are fastened at a suitable position to the main frame, accurately engaging the positioning plate thereby providing the device with a good guiding support. By means of the screws 5 the supports 4 are fastened to the frame (shown in Figure 1). Then the guide-member l is brought into engagement with the supports in such manner that the center thereof is positioned directly over the middle frame member of the positioning frame. The guide-member is then firmly secured in place on supports d by means of screws 3. Then the measuring leg 59 including the glide 9 is set into the longitudinal slot 2 of the guide-member i in such manner that the lateral noses I! are capable of engaging the longitudinal slot 2 and the pins 22 of the arresting or looking devices received within slots 23. In operation the gear 26 is brought into the plane of the toothed bar 24, thereby engaging it. When the initial position of the gear 25 is such that the teeth thereof bear against the side-walls of the toothed bar 2%, the setting of the glide 9 into the guide member i is not hindered, because the gear 26 including the bolt 25 and the operating disk 2'! are resiliently mounted and may be displaced upwardly. When the glide 9 is set in the guide-member i the resiliently supported bolts (6 are rotated by means of the knobs i8, whereby the lateral noses I! engage the edge of the longitudinal slot 2, and also registering the pins 22 and the slots 23.

By this arrangement the measuring leg Hi supported at its free end by the rollers A! is capable of moving on the foundation, thereby capable of controlling parallelism of the sides of printing structures due to the scales provided for this purpose. Engagement of the operating mechanismfor the glide 9 may be accomplished by means of a slight rotation of the gear 26 by means of the operating disk 21. This will only be necessary if the gear 26 is not initially in meshed relation with the toothed bar 24. By means of the operating disk 27 the measuring leg [0 is capable of being minutely set in relation to the guide member The measuring leg It may be fixed in an adjusted position by rotation of the operating disk 19 to displace the bolt [6 upwardly, whereby the spring 20 is tensioned, thereby pressing the lateral noses H against the edge of the longitudinal slot 2, whereby the measuring leg i0 is firmly fixed upon the guide-member I. The two indicators 34 may be moved in opposite directions as a unit on the measuring leg l9, whereby control of registered condition is made possible in that the plates 52 are slidably moved on the measuring leg ii The clamping effect of the plates E2 is con trolied by displacement of the screw-nuts 38 and the displacement of the double armed indicator 33 on the measuring leg H3 is facilitated by the pull buttons ii. The clamping efiect relating to the double armed indicator on the measuring leg it may be increased by tightening the screw nuts 33. The displaceable and lockable movement of the measuring leg to on the guide-member I enables quick positioning on the guide-member i gliding.

Smooth gliding adjustment of the doubie armed indicator 33 is assured by varying the clamping effect, which accounts also for the desired fixation of the double armed indicator '33 on the measuring leg it. An accurate adjustment in height above the prin he structure or" the measuring leg is made possible the supporting roll- 12 at the free end of the measuring leg i8.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An aligning instrument for printing structures comprising, a guide member having a longitudinal slot therein, means for securing said guide member to the top of a frame, a translatable leg positioned substantially at right angles to said guide member and having a glide portion adjacent one end and slidably received in the longitudinal slot in said guide member, spring pressed bolts on said giide portion and each having a lateral nose for clamping engagement with. a wall of said longitudinal slot, means for adjusting the clamping pressure of said bolts, gear means including cooperating elements carried by said guide member and said glide portion for ad- J'usting the position of the latter along said guide member, rollers supporting the other end of said translatable leg, a double armed indicator slidable on said translatable leg, and means for resiliently clamping said indicator in position on said translatable leg.

2. An aligning instrument for printing structures comprising a guide member having a 1ongitudinal slot therein, means for securing said guide member to the top of a frame, a translatable leg having a free end and positioned sub stantially at right angles to said guide member and having a glide portion slidably received in the longitudinal slot in said guide member, spring pressed bolts on said glide portion and each having a lateral nose for clamping engagement with a Wall of said longitudinal slot, means including a knob attached to each bolt for rotating the same to permit withdrawal of said nose from said slot, means for adjusting the clamping pressure of said bolts, gear means including cooperating elements carried by said guide member and said glide portion for adjusting the position of the latter along said guide member, rollers supporting said free end of said translatable leg, a double armed indicator slidable on said translatable leg, and means for resiliently clamping said indicator in position on said translatable leg.

3. An aligning instrument for printing structures comprising a guide member having a longitudinal slot therein, means for securing said guide member to the top of a frame, a translatable leg having a free end and positioned substantially at right angles to said guide member and having a glide portion slidably received in the longitudinal slot in said guide member, spring pressed bolts on said glide portion and each having a lateral nose for clamping engagement with a Wall of said longitudinal slot, means for adjusting the clamping pressure of said bolts, means carried by said bolts and engageable with said glide portion for preventing rotation of said bolts, gear mean including cooperating elements carried by said guide member and said glide portion for adjusting the position of the latter along said guide member, rollers supporting said free end of said translatable leg, an indicator, and means for mounting and resiliently clamping said indicator in position on said translatable leg.

4. An aligning instrument for printing structures comprising a guide member having a longitudinal slot therein, means for securing said guide member to the top of a frame, a translatable leg having a free end and positioned substantially at right angles to said guide member and having a glide portion slidably received in the longitudinal slot in said guide member, spring pressed bolts on said glide portion each having a lateral nose for clamping engagement with a wall of said longitudinal slot, means for adjusting the clamping pressure of said bolts, means including a pin on each of said bolts engageable with respective slots in said glide portion for preventing rotation of said bolts, gear means including cooperating elements carried by said guide member and said glide portion for adjusting the position of the latter along said guide member, rollers supporting said free end of said translatable leg, an indicator, and means for mounting and resiliently clamping said indicator in position on said translatable leg.

5. An aligning instrument for printing structures comprising a guide member having a longitudinal slot therein, means for securing said guide member to the top of a frame, a translatable leg having a free end and positioned substantially at right angles to said guide member and including a glide portion slidably received in said longitudinal slot, spring pressed bolts on said glide portion and each having a lateral nose for clamping engagement with a wall of said longitudinal slot, means for adjusting the clamping pressure of said bolts, gear means including a rack mounted along the longitudinal slot in said guide member, a pinion rotatably mounted on said glide portion and in engagement with said rack for adjusting the position of said translatable leg along said guide member, rollers supporting said free end of said leg, a double armed indicator slidable on said translatable leg, and

'means for resiliently clamping said indicator in position on said translatable leg.

6. An aligning instrument for printing structures comprising a guide member having a longitudinal slot therein, means for securing said guide member to the top of a frame, a translatable leg having a free end and positioned substantially at right angles to said guide member and having a glide portion slidably received in the longitudinal slot in said guide member, spring pressed bolts on said glide portion and each hav ing a lateral nose for clamping engagement with a wall of said longitudinal slot, means for adjusting the clamping pressure of said bolts, gear means including cooperating elements carried by said guide member and said glide portion for adjusting the position of the latter along said guide member, rollers supporting said free end of said leg, a double armed indicator slidable on said translatable leg, resilient clamping means on said indicator comprising at least one pull button movable under spring pressure to clamp against said leg, and means for adjusting the clamping pressure on said pull button.

7. An aligning instrument for printing structures comprising a guide member having a longitudinal slot therein, means for securing said guide member to the top of a frame, a translatable leg positioned substantially at right angles to said guide member and having a glide portion on one end thereof slidably received in the longitudinal slot in said guide member, spring pressure bolts on said glide portion each having a lateral nose for clamping engagement with a wall of said longitudinal slot, means for adjusting the clamping pressure of said bolts, gear means including cooperating elements carried by said guide member and said glide portion for adjusting the position of the latter along said guide member, rollers supporting the other end of said translatable leg, means for adjusting the height of said rollers relative to said leg, a double armed indicator slidable on said translatable leg, and means for resiliently clamping said indicato in position on said translatable leg.

ERNST CHRISTEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,011,271 Tedesco Dec. 12, 1911 1,153,896 Dittrich Sept. 21, 1915 1,601,461 West Sept. 28, 1926 1,746,830 Harmon Feb. 11, 1930 2,125,039 Trotter July 26, 1938 2,190,947 Kinzler Feb. 20, 1940 2,339,467 Eckhard et a1. Jan. 18, 1944 2,501,296 Tyler Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 105,711 Sweden Oct. 13, 1942 

